Menendez: US must help the Philippines

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) said Saturday that the U.S. must help its Filipino allies after one of the strongest storms on record left an estimated 1,200 people dead.

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“The United States can and must do everything in our power to assist our friend and ally in dealing with the devastating consequences of this storm, and to help meet the needs of the Filipino people in addressing this disaster,” Menendez said.

The New Jersey Democrat is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. On Friday, Typhoon Haivan slammed the tiny Southeast Asian island nation with winds over 190 miles per hour.

Only about 200 deaths have been confirmed, but reports from the ground suggest that number will climb to at least 1,200.

“Today our hearts go out to the Filipino people,” Menendez continued. “The images of devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan coming out of the Philippines are truly heartbreaking. The Filipino people have my sympathy and support as they deal with the effects of a storm that has, by last accounts, killed at least 1,200 people.”